The Simple Things
by Jen-07
Summary: Hoshi decides to reconnect with herself on shore leave. TuS


Title: The Simple Things  
Author: Jen  
Rating: G  
Category: Romance  
Codes: Tu/S  
Summary: Hoshi decides to reconnect with herself on shore leave.  
Author's Notes: I felt that writing a good, pure, sappy Tu/S romance might be fun, so I gave it a try, and this is what I came up with. Hope you guys don't think it's too cheesy. It has a sort of fairy tale aspect to it that I hope you all enjoy. Written to the tune of 'Twilight and Mist' from Legends of the Fall.  
  
Late morning rays from the golden sun of Ilia shone over the hillside, illuminating everything within its grasp. The singing of tiny birdlike animals flowed into her ears, and she paused, listening contently to the sounds of nature around her. Spying a large hill in the distance, she decided on the perfect spot to spend the afternoon. It wasn't often that the crew was able to stop on such a beautiful planet for shore leave.  
  
Hoshi smiled. Not too long after they had arrived on the surface, she had made it her mission to get back in touch with herself, and the person she had been before leaving Earth. Though a lot of her voyage had been filled pleasant memories, there were some things she would rather forget; things that still haunted her at night. Things she needed to move past.  
  
As she made her way through the forest of trees, past too many different types of plants to count, she paused. Bending down, she studied a small group of purple and yellow flowers. It didn't take her long to come to the conclusion that she wanted one. She picked it with ease and stood up, placing it next to her nose. The aroma was intoxicating.  
  
She giggled at the thought of a childhood memory.  
  
She and her sister had wandered away from their parents, into the garden of a very well respected neighbour. Back then it was the biggest garden she had ever seen; flowers and bushes, fruits and vegetables all strewn together to make one very large, "very pretty" paradise, as she had called it.  
  
Opening her eyes, she glanced around to make sure the coast was clear. She removed the large straw hat that sat upon her head, and tucked the flower in place behind the pale blue ribbon that bound around it. 'Perfect,' she thought to herself as she examined her work. She placed it back on her head, and continued on.  
  
A cheerful melody found itself alive and dancing within her mind, and she found that it was nearly impossible to keep from singing it out loud. She began to twirl, extending her arms to accentuate her movements. She wore a small white sundress with blue flowers and spaghetti straps for comfort. It flowed freely around her knees, and she began to run. She ran and ran, until finally, she had reached her destination.  
  
A large smile found it's way onto her sunlit face, and she gazed over the countryside with a sense of amazement. She watched as the sun sparkled on a large lake, and as the soft, warm wind blew the trees beneath her. A flock of birdlike animals flew over her head, and she turned to see them off.  
  
"Goodbye!" she waved. "I'll see you again sometime!"  
  
There was of course, no reply, but she didn't quite seem to care. She flipped off her sandals to find that the grass beneath her feet was extremely soft and pleasurable to the touch. She let it squish between her toes as the wind began to blow itself through her hair. Her long raven curls flowed gracefully behind her, and she once again extended her arms outward to capture a feeling of serenity.  
  
She stood for a long while, enveloped in the overwhelming sense of peace that she couldn't help but enjoy. She thought of her friends and family back home, as well as the fresh new faces she had met throughout her journey on Enterprise. A thought tickled in her brain that she was really just beginning. There were so many new worlds to explore! So many wonderful places to visit, and so many civilizations to study!  
  
She took in a deep breath as she opened her eyes. Now this was more like it. This place was exactly what she needed to reconnect with the person that she was; the person she knew was still buried deep inside of her somewhere. It just needed a little nudge to find it's way up to the surface again.  
  
So she sat. She sat for a long while; long into the afternoon in fact, just thinking. She thought about life, love, the things she wanted, and the goals she had fulfilled. She sat contently, and before she knew it, the sun was already beginning to set. Rays of beautifully bright orange and yellow illuminated the sky, turning the clouds into a fire of golden pink and red. The wind died down, and there remained only a light breeze. Yet as she stood up to get a better view, something strange happened. One last forceful burst of air somehow managed to knock the hat off of her head, sending it flying backward.  
  
She twirled around just in time to see it caught in the hands of a large, handsome man. He too was wearing comfortable, relaxing clothes. "Scuze' me, Miss? Does this belong to you?"  
  
She smiled. "Why yes it does. Thank you so much kind sir, for rescuing it! You are very brave indeed."   
  
"All in a day's work," he chuckled softly, making his way next to her. He handed her the hat, studying the rare, yet happy smile on her face. "Well look at you darlin'! I'd say you look about as happy as my Uncle Henry after he caught that master angler catfish with m'sister's earring."  
  
A small laugh escaped from her mouth, and for the first time since she'd set off, the realization hit her that he was right. "I am," she began, turning around to face the scenery in front of them. "I am happy. You're right Trip. I guess after all these months in space, I just needed some time to remember who I really am, you know?"  
  
"I hear that," he smiled. He turned beside her so that they were both facing toward the sun. They stood in silence as they watched the now orange object begin to lower out of sight. As it was nearing complete, Hoshi suddenly felt compelled to ask Trip a question. She looked at him, and he, in turn, looked at her.  
  
"How did you find me?" she whispered.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"How did you know I was up here?"  
  
"I saw you leave earlier into the woods. The more I thought about it, the more I realized what a great idea it was. Sometimes you just need to get away; be yourself. As I was walking, I saw you sitting up here. Thought maybe I'd join you."  
  
"Well," she smiled, "I'm glad you did. I didn't want to be the only one to enjoy this beautiful sunset."  
  
"Gosh, it really is gorgeous, ain't it?" he questioned, still gazing into her eyes.  
  
She agreed, studying the look on his face. "Breathtaking."  
  
And as the sun set over the land for yet another night, not everything had remained the same. Indeed, something had changed. For underneath the fiery sky of pink and gold, a bond was formed between lovers; a bond that was sealed with a kiss so full of passion and desire, that neither one of them had even expected it.  
  
Their lips lingered close, unsure of whether or not their hunger was satisfied enough to finally pull away.  
  
"You, Hoshi Sato, are nothing short of amazing."   
  
"And you, Charles Tucker the Third, are a truly wonderful person." She looked into his eyes, sensing that he too was just now realizing how spectacular the splendours of life could really be.   
  
And though the sun had disappeared from their view, the spark that had been ignited between the two lovers remained long into the night, eventually blossoming into a relationship that no power could ever tear apart.  
  
As she reflected back on the experience, Hoshi couldn't help but realize that she had found something a lot more than just her inner self that day. She had found love. And she had never felt happier.  
  
The End


End file.
